Original subtitles

What's the problem?

Get out.

I'm a tool. I'm dressing in here. I know. I didn't want you to scare anyone

happened to wander in.

What

do

you mean I can't do that?

I can do whatever I want.

Maybe that's why I'm leaving school, because I'm sick and tired of being told

what I can and cannot do.

Sick and tired of it!

To a rehearsal.

Isn't such a big deal, is it?

Is it, Eartha?

No, Miss Grant.

Wrong! Being late five minutes, two seconds is a capital crime in

the professional theater.

Because when you are late, you are breaking the moment, the creative moment

where everybody is there ready to work. And if you break that moment, then you

risk breaking the very spirit of an entire production.

And if that isn't a capital crime, well, I don't know what is.

So get in here, Leroy Johnson, before I break your neck.

But I was... Don't tell me about but I. I don't have time for but I. Just get in

here.

Excuse me, Mr. Johnson.

I don't think I caught that last remark.

I said I just don't understand why everything got to be so uptight.

Just dance, Leroy, okay?

Dance.

That stopped me from killing you before.

It just might work this time. All right, Martelli, let's take it from the first

instrumental break.

Are you hitting this line?

Five, six.

Why are you torturing the phrase, it's fine, it sounds perfect, absolutely

perfect? If it really was perfect, why didn't I win the competition?

Because perfect is impossible.

But you just said that... Technical perfection does as possible, but musical

perfection, never.

Tell me, do you think Cazals was the greatest cellist in the world?

Or Rubinstein the greatest pianist?

Who knows?

Exactly.

Certainly they all possessed tremendous technique.

But is this why hundreds line up in the rain to buy tickets to hear technique?

No, and absolutely not.

They line up to hear these people make music.

Am I making any sense at all?

I think so.

Listen to me, Mother.

During the war, technique was my survival.

Each day I would practice for hours.

It was my great escape from all the pain around me.

But it was only after the war that I could put all my feelings into the

Only then did I play music, real music.

It was the feelings that changed the technique into music.

That's what you must do.

Miller, there will be other competitions.

That's why I'm telling you all this.

Because win or lose, you must take the joy and the disappointment and put them

here.

Put them in here and they will line up for blood.

Even in the rain.

I'll try.

Julie, your dad's on the office phone.

What?

Your dad!

Come on!

Julie, the cord won't reach. You have to go to the phone.

Nella, track me.

I'll guard the cello.

for five minutes.

Hello? He's still there?

He's still there.

What a guy.

Hello? Peanut, is that you?

Hi, Daddy.

You got a date for lunch on Wednesday?

Wednesday? I don't... Are you coming to New York?

I'll be there around 10 .30.

Let's say I pick you up at...

12 noon and we go someplace nice. That sound okay?

Is it business or are you just coming to... Very important business.

I have something I want to tell you.

What's that?

Oh, no fair.

I have to tell you in person.

That kind of news.

Wednesday, 12 o 'clock?

12 o 'clock.

Bye, Peanut.

I wasn't doing anything. Yes, you were. You were just cast as the lead dancer in

this piece.

I was? You was. Now, come over here. But what about Leroy?

Leroy? I don't see a Leroy. Anybody seen a Leroy?

You know this duet section with Arthur?

Yeah, but... Good.

All right, everybody in your opening positions. Right away.

All right, Martelli, five.

Dick, Bob.

Can we wait a couple more minutes, Miss Grant? No, we could not.

Whenever you're ready, Martelli.

Look, Miss Grant, Leroy is going to be pretty steamed when he hears about this.

And I'm not sure that I... Michael, you better make up your mind who you're more

afraid of, Leroy or me.

Whenever you're ready, Mr. Martelli.

Five, six.

I got it. I'm sorry.

Let's go.

Sit down, Mr. Johnson.

What's the problem?

There's no problem.

Michael is dancing the lead.

Why? Because Michael was here.

Well, I'm here now. I'll do the dance. Let's go. Forget it, Mr. Johnson.

This is supposed to be a dance class.

I'm very aware of that fact.

Well, you got rules for this, and you got rules for that.

Pretty soon, everybody's learning rules.

Nobody feels much like dancing now, do they? Are you finished?

You are finished.

Ain't that the truth? Get out.

I'm getting.

Chump.

Excuse me?

If you come back here, you better come back here to work, because you ain't

gonna make us look bad.

You hear me?

Oh, hi, Doris.

Is everything all right? Yes, I just um, I dropped my book No, no, actually it's

an old one No, no, it's a Yiddish one Well?

Well, what?

Good news or bad news?

Look, no jokes, Doris This isn't a joke, this is a question Your father, the

phone call yesterday, good news or bad news?

Oh, that, um, that was nothing You have him to look on your face. I thought

maybe he reversed the charges.

Or worse.

Was that easy to see?

Yeah, it was that easy to see.

Come on, these ears are hungry for details.

There's nothing to tell.

Okay.

I'm just scared.

Scared of what?

He said he had something important to tell me.

So just because it's important, you naturally assume that it's bad news? The

last time he had something important to tell me, it was that he and Mom were

getting divorced.

One point for Julie Miller.

Well, look, maybe it's good news. Maybe they're getting back together again.

Back together?

Yeah, reconciliation.

That's what my parents did. They were separated for a while, and then they

decided to get back together and try and work things out.

A reconciliation?

I never thought of that, Doris. Yeah, well, think about it.

Thanks, Doris.

Don't mention it.

Ciao.

Reconciliation.

Oh, please.

He got off on 28th Street, right, and then he saw me, and we were going up the

steps, and then he just took off, and there was no way I could keep up with

Why would he go down there? I don't know.

I just hope it's not what I'm thinking.

Carco, he's through with gangs. He wouldn't get into that stuff again. I

know.

I'm going to go around there this afternoon and see if I can find him. Be

serious. I am serious.

You can't go down there. It's too dangerous.

What are you talking about? Well, if you come with me, I won't be going down

there alone.

Why should I go with you?

Because it's a dangerous part of town. That's what he just said. What part of

town are we talking about?

Around 28th Street.

I know that part of town. That's where the psychic I go to has her place.

You go to a psychic?

Oh, please.

Astrology, Annie. Here a cusp, there a cusp. Everywhere.

Listen, astrology is a science. And my mother's a duck.

Look, you go in your scavenger hunt. I gotta try on this dress.

Next time I go to my psychic, I'll ask her about the wandering Johnson.

Look, I gotta test with Cranwell this afternoon.

I'll go down there with you later if you want. Oh, thank you. Listen,

you don't have to talk to your psychic. We can do this by ourselves.

Thank you, Stan.

Thank you, Ollie.

I'm a tool. I'm dressing in here.

I know. I didn't want you to scare anyone who happened to wander in.

See him yet?

There he is! There he is! Come on!

Did you?

Even if I did, I can't do nothing about it.

Be sure, what I wanted to ask... Coco, I'm in desperate need of this egg salad

on white in my crossword puzzle.

I hope this isn't going to take long.

I wanted to ask you if you did anything about Leroy not doing that essay.

Coco, I don't discuss with student A how I'm going to deal with student B.

Rest assured, I'm going to deal with Mr. Johnson.

Well, I thought maybe he shouldn't do anything.

You have to do the essay, and I let Leroy off the hook?

Why so generous?

Well... Leroy and me, we fight a lot sometimes, you know, but that's just a

brother -sister thing, you know, and...

Well, we've both seen some street life that people around here don't

and I just... Coco, that is no justification for my going easy on him.

that. But he's in a lot of trouble with Miss Grant right now, and I think if you

get on his case, he's... Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

You're afraid that we might push him back to that street life you're talking

about? If he's not there already.

Okay, I can either consider this a conversation where one student tried to

interfere with my discipline of another, or a conversation where one friend

expresses concern about another friend.

I'm voting for the second one.

And I'll bear it in mind, whatever I do.

Thank you, Miss Sherwood.

Really, thank you.

You bet.

Breakfast at the airport in Detroit.

Lunch at the...

Summer Terrace in Manhattan. You talk about culture shock.

School going up, Hank?

Okay. No, no. School is going great.

But, um, it's just it seems so silly to be talking about school and restaurants

and... What did you come to tell me?

I'll stop beating around the bush.

There's a time between parent and child.

More between father and daughter.

When the daughter looks at the father as...

darn near perfect.

A king.

Daddy can't do anything wrong.

And a part of growing up...

Sad part is when you find out that isn't so that old dad is

Just as capable of

Fouling up as the next person Maybe more so

Like how I fouled up what your mother and I had

Growing older

That doesn't mean that we make fewer mistakes.

It just means that we feel sillier about them.

What mistakes?

Maybe mistake isn't the right word.

It's just important that you understand that grown -ups get as confused as you

do. Daddy, I'm not following you.

Just because you make a mistake doesn't mean you can't start fresh to rebuild.

Start anew.

Are you following what I'm saying?

I hope so.

New?

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

You know me, I want it all.

The good news is you were right, Doris.

My dad wants to get married.

See, I told you, it was the same thing... You know what the bad news is?

Not to my mom.

Ward!

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm prepared to be dazzled by the Brandenburg Concerto.

Please don't keep me in suspense.

And when he told me he was getting married, it brought up all those old

feelings.

The more I fought to keep them inside, the more they fought to get out.

I built up such hopes.

A lot of trouble and pain out there.

You know, Miller, every composer worth a salt knew about pain.

Very few were what you and I would call happy.

But they took the pain as well as the joy and put all of it into their music.

In case I'm not obvious enough, that's a hint. I'm scared there's no music left

in me.

There will always be music inside of you, Miller.

This, I guarantee.

Miller, you're a cellist, not a chiropractor. Please let go.

Yo, Leroy.

Coco, what are you doing here? What am I doing here? What are you doing here?

And who are they?

That's the strangest looking gang I've ever seen.

Gang?

You thought they were a gang?

Coco, that's Fast Flow.

Fast Flow?

Fast Flow, the dance troupe. I know who they are, but what are they doing here?

Well, they rented this place, you know, to rehearse until the show started.

How'd you find out where I was at anyway? That's what I want to know.

You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Leroy.

So that's where you've been all week?

That's where I've been all week.

Why?

Because that's where it's happening, Coco.

Look, no rules, no bells, just moves and greens.

Were you just watching them to watch them, huh? Oh, no way.

They're looking for one dancer.

One male dancer.

The audition starts next Tuesday at 6 p .m., and guess who's coming to dinner?

Are you going to the audition?

I already know most of the moves.

Coco

said

you wanted to see me.

Yes.

My sense of pride tells me I should stay angry with you for at least a few more

days, but I'm passing on that.

I need you to help me out.

Help you out?

Coaching Michael.

He's doing a lot better than everybody expected, including me, but his

character, that three -dimensional person, is just not there.

And what he needs is somebody that can really spend time with him.

I'm giving him as much as I can, but... Well, I know it's not the same as being

in the show.

But it certainly would mean being a very important part of it.

What do you say? Is it a deal?

It would be.

But, uh... I don't think I'm gonna be here.

What?

I know my English isn't that bad. I said I ain't gonna be here.

Where are you going?

Something came up.

What could possibly come up that... A chance.

And I'm gonna take it.

Well, what about school? You're just gonna walk out?

Yes, ma 'am.

Leroy, you must not have heard me. I just asked if you were leaving school,

dropping out, quitting.

Miss Grant, I heard you.

And I said, yes, ma 'am.

Leroy, you can't do that.

What do you mean, I can't do that?

I can do whatever I want.

Maybe that's why I'm leaving school, because I'm sick and tired of being told

what I can and cannot do.

Interesting melody line. Very interesting.

A bit melancholy, perhaps.

Well, that would fit.

Why?

Mr. Sharofsky, does it ever feel like every note you hit is out of tune?

No.

But you have my attention.

I don't know.

I just wonder sometimes if it matters, any of it.

Let me answer you this way.

Yesterday, I spoke with a student.

She told me she had no music in her.

She had lost it, she said.

Now, I have no idea what I said or how I said it, but I know when she left,

there was music with her.

Yes, it matters.

Martelli played me something this morning.

In your present state of mind, it's something you ought to hear. Scooch

What? Scooch.

There's a train that's coming my way.

Are you on it?

It would be so nice to see your smile again.

My long -lost friend, I pay the fare.

There ain't nothing there to keep you all aboard.

I pray the Lord.

will bring you back.

Just ten miles back.

There's a breeze

Tell my telly you heard me sing one of his songs.

You will be on paper pickup for a week.

Isn't there anything I can say to change your mind? Look, I guess not. You've

been talking to me all the way across town and I'm still walking.

How about we'll miss you?

How about I'll miss you too?

How about don't be a chump, all right?

Personally, I like the first one better.

Well, how about... How about if you just close it and wait for me right here,

okay? Well, where are you going?

Look, girl, I got to audition. I'm getting out of that... Go.

Leroy.

Break a leg, man.

Here she comes.

I thought this was lunchtime.

It is.

And I thought you were going off to learn the ways of the world.

You knew, didn't you?

You let me go out there, try out for that dance troupe, and you knew all the

time.

Admit it, Miss Grant.

Admit what?

You know they wouldn't hire nobody my age.

They got welfare rules, labor laws, Lord knows what else.

I didn't even get to dance for this man.

As soon as he took a look at my application...

Seen how old I was.

Adios, Leroy the Kid.

Oh, he can do the number, Miss Grant. And we worked on it before school, and

it's pretty special.

Leroy, Miss, two -minute rehearsal. I know it seems impossible to put it

together so quickly, but, Miss Grant, we are talking heat.

Why don't you just give us a chance and watch it?

All right, people, let's go. Let's go. Come on, wait a minute, man.

I hover and I hold. I stalk through the city on little rat feet, scurrying

through the lives of the night people. But once there was a lady who showed me

how to lay back and be cool.

She had luck tattooed on her back.

Had a mean old two -tone pony act.

She could put you off with her attitude.

She said, I just want to lay back and be cool.

She's on a punk shot hot rod Hollywood cruising trip.

She found me crying in a parking lot on Sunset Street.

She said, come on, baby. I'll be good to you.

I just want to lay back and be good.

Been a long time, still think of her at night.

We were drifters, just looking for the light.

She took me up somewhere in the hill.

Turned me round, cured me of my ill.

I spent a year with her, well, maybe more like two.

Got to lay back and be cool.

I need bread.

I don't got none at all.

I've been thinking about going down south this fall.

I want to make easy money and get by when I'm blue.

I just want to lay back and be cool.

I just want to lay back and be cool.

I want to make easy money and get by when I'm blue.

I just want to lay back and be cool.

And be cool.

And be cool.

It was great.

It was fierce.

So can Leroy do the number?

No.

No? No.

Michael is dancing the lead.

It's okay with me, Miss Grant, really. But it's not okay with me.

I can do next year's show.

I'm not discussing it, Michael.

But Miss Grant is going to be innocent. Parents out there in the audience.

Michael, she's right.

Don't you want to do it?

That has nothing to do with it.

You rehearse for the number. It's your number. You're going to dance it.

However, you do need some work.

Come in here about 7 o 'clock tomorrow morning.

We'll work something out.

All right.

I'll be here.

Good.

Oh, Michael, don't come in here late.

You had lunch yet?

No.

You want half a tuna fish sandwich?

Are you okay?

Not even close.

the light about that ESP stuff.

Didn't your ESP tell you we would? No. You see, in order for me to read your

mind, there has to be a mind there to read.

All right, all right, stop it. Come on.

Doris, listen, I can admit when I'm wrong, right? And this woman of yours

where Leroy was, so there must be some truth to what she's talking about. She

owns the building they rented. You know, I thought if you could... What did you

say? The lady I go to.

She owns the building they rented to the dance troupe. She told me she rented it

to them right after I talked to you guys. I just put two and two together.

All I know is you spent $18 on books.

And all my hype men... Thoughts you're lying, right? You're not lying?

Boy, sweetheart, what are you doing?

Putting up a poster for the show.

Well, dear, if they're inside the auditorium, that means they already have

ticket. And if they already have a ticket, that means we got them.

Maybe I should put it up outside.

There you go.

Nervous?

I heard you decided to keep Michael in the lead.

Yes, I did.

Interesting move.

You disapprove?

I didn't say that.

All I said was, interesting move.

Sounds like you disagree.

For Michael, it's fine.

For Leroy, I don't know.

It always seems to be one step forward, two steps back.

We try being tough, we try being gentle.

But we do keep trying.

Do you ever want to give up on him?

Sure I do.

And so do you sometimes. But I guess as long as my giving up times and your

giving up times and not at the same time, then we have a good chance of

him here, working, learning.

It's pouring rain out there.

It is?

And they're lined up for blocks.

Is he here?

Uh, no.

He had to go back to Michigan.

I didn't invite him.

Neither. I thought we agreed the music was for Sharon.

I know.

You say that a lot.

Maybe you're right when you tell me the music is ready.

But only one person knows when I'm ready.

That's me.

Hey, look, I don't have to follow your advice all the time now, do I?

Miss Miller, for such a young girl, you are quite a young lady.

And now I've got rosin in my beard.

Come on, places. Mr. Swarovski, we've got to clear it now.

All right, places, everyone.

All right, house to half.

Anybody seen Leroy?

No.

House out.

Gold curtain.

Ladies and gentlemen, to open tonight's presentation, we will have Miss Julie

Miller. Miss Miller will be playing Chopin's Polonaise Brillante.

She will be accompanied by Mr. Bruno Martelli.

Leroy. Leave me alone.

I know you're disappointed about the way this turned out, but... The

man

at that dance troupe, he never said nothing about my age.

He never said I was too young.

What he said, he said I wasn't good enough yet.

No one's never said that to me before.

I know I got to work on my reading and I will, my math and all that stuff.

I've always been able to catch fire dancing.

Miss Grant, I always had that.

And then I come in here and lie to you.

I was just so scared.

Miss Grant, I got to be good enough.

If I ain't got that, I ain't got nothing.

Leroy, now you listen to me. Really listen to me.

You didn't hear what that man said to you.

He said you weren't good enough yet.

Yet.

That's why you're here.

So that you can get good enough. And you will. You will. I swear you will.

As long as you stay tough on yourself.

I'll be here to work with you as long as you give it all you got.

And pretty soon we'll be able to put that yet out in the trash where it

But you gotta stay with me.

Our next number will be Ms. Grant's advanced students performing their

Lay Back and Be Cool.

I hover and I hone. I stalk through the city on little rat feet, scurrying

through the lives of the night people.

But one, there was a lady who showed me how to lay back and be cool.

She had love tattooed on her back.

Had a mean old two -tone Pontiac.

She could put you off with her attitude.

She said, I just want to lay back and be cool.

on one shot hot rock Hollywood cruising trip.

She found me crying in a parking lot on sunset trip.

She said, come on. Were you able to reach Leroy?

I don't know.

But you hope so.